Makorokoza ‘feast’ on University students
MASVINGO – Cash rich makorokoza are punching above their weights, luring struggling Great Zimbabwe University female students into sexual liaisons.
The desperate students under pressure to pay for accommodation and fees are failing to resist the dollars the gold panners dangle at them. The panners most of them, primary and secondary school drop outs have turned the campus and surrounding areas into love nests with students.
The hostels for the students that have no security fence or precast wall have become a haven of sexual activities for the female students and the gold panners .
“Our fellow female students have fallen prey to the makorokoza who bring their dirty into the hostels and a lot of cash. They are enjoying intimate relationships because they shower the ill-fated girls with lots of money and the girls seem unable to resist,” said a student who only identified himself as Ediza.
The gold panners are popular with the girls as they take them to various places of entertainment during the night at different night spots in the nearby Masvingo city and Zvishavane were they book them into lavish hotels and lodges for the weekend outing.
Female students from Namibia who are learning at the institution are particularly popular with the panners.
“Most of us have never had the chance to fall in love with the beautiful educated girls from the universities, thanks to GZU for bringing them to us here in Mashava. They no longer mind that we are always dirty because we will be in the gold shaft.
“They know that we got money and we can take care of them. The Namibians are so fast and easy to get because they are far away from home so they need instant cash,” said Bla Puro, a gold panner from Dissso compound in the mining town.
Some of the female students who talked to Radio VOP on condition of anonymity said they needed money for their upkeep so they are forced to fall in love with the gold panners who are moneyed.
The panners said they have no other means of earning a living because most of them were thrown out of their jobs when Shabanie Mashava Mines were closed down by government after being taken away from exiled owner, Mutumwa Mawere several years ago.
The mining town was turned into a ghost town until the GZU bought part of the mine infrastructure to set up a satellite campus that houses over a thousand students.
A recent report by the National Aids Council (NAC) has revealed that Masvingo province tops the country in the sexually transmitted infections (STI) infection with over 10 000 infections in three months.
NAC Provincial Aids coordinator revealed that the STI cases in Masvingo rose by over 1 000 in the second quarter of the year that recorded 10 110 cases from 9 549 in the first quarter.
NAC also said it suspected institutions of higher learning in the province were contributing to the spread of the STI’s.
It is reported however that the students do not seek treatment at the local campus clinic as they are afraid of being embarrassed by the local staff that can expose them to fellow students.
GZU’s Vice Chancellor, Rungano Zvobgo told local journalists recently that they were likely to have such incidents at the campus but the university was carrying out vast education programmes to shun unprotected sex and encourage abstinence by students.
The activities of the students and the gold panners have however became a cause for concern to local parents who have complained about the immoral activities by the young ladies.
The makorokozas have now replaced the local sugar daddies and businessman who used to be the predators preying on the young girls some as young as 18 years. Radio VOP
